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DIY Rustic Mirror

Check out how you can make a beautiful mirror to give any room a more rustic look!

Submitted By: Killer B. Design

I'm Killer b, a designer with a love of bright colors, bold typefaces, and DIY. Nothing makes me happier than creating a lovingly handmade home on a budget. I love to build my own pieces, revive ones from thrift stores, and repurpose everyday objects to create something new and exciting. I married my good old country boy in the fall of 2010, who I now lovingly call my Husbane (as he on occasion is the bane of my existence). Our beautiful baby girl named Charlie is the light of our lives. We live on the Gulf Coast of Texas with a sweet Boxer and a sassy Red Heeler.

I know the rustic look isn?t for everyone, but I sure do love it! When we moved into our current home, there was a plain old mirror hung on the wall with mirror clips. We promptly removed it, and it?s been sitting in my closet ever since. So I finally decided to do something with it. My dad had given me a gorgeous board of walnut, but I didn?t have enough to do the entire mirror without ripping it down. Instead of ruining the lovely grain and texture, I grabbed a piece of rustic cedar he?d also sent home with us for the top. You can hardly even tell the difference!

I loooooovethis wood. It has a history, and you can really see it. This is the kind of weathering that?s hard to fake. But, you can easily use this tutorial to build a mirror frame with new wood a few simple methods. Follow the jump to read how!

The mirror I had was 24? x 36?. I started by making the two side cuts. The mirror needed to be slightly larger than the opening, so I measured my two side pieces 1? shorter than the mirror. So I cut them at 23?. Then I slid them half an inch over the sides of the mirror and measured that distance from end to end, which was about 48?. I cut the top and bottom at 48?.

Step 2 ? Drill your pocket holes

If you?ve been on the fence about getting a Kreg Jig ? GET ONE! They?re so entirely worth every penny. It makes frames a breeze, even 45 degree angled frames. I adapted my settings and drilled two holes on each end of the side pieces.

Step 3 ? Screw ?Em In!

My confession: I don?t always use pricey Kreg screws. I use plain old drywall screws and put an extender on my drill. They work just the same! Make sure all your angles are square and the ends are tight.

Step 4 ? Dryfit your mirror

Place your mirror on the back of your frame, and mark where you want to drill your clips. It?s important to dryfit just in case your frame is too large or small, or you have any wonky corners.

Step 5 ? Attach your clips. Just not too tight

Yeah? so the first time I did this, it looked great and I was so proud. I took it inside to show it off to the hubs, and about 30 seconds after his admiring gaze, it split right down the middle. D?oh! Turns out I tightened the clips too tightly over the cedar board which was slightly thinner than the walnut. Ay yi yi. So, one quick trip onto Facebook to check out the Beg Buy Barter Sell Brazoria County page later, I drove to the next town over and picked up a giant mirror for $15. So even though this project now had a pricetag (instead of free), it was still a steal.

Step 6 ? Shim the clips if you need to

See those pieces on the right? They?re 1/2? thick pine scraps

I just placed them under the edge of the mirror so it wouldn?t bend, then screwed straight into them.

Drill in any hanging hardware, and you?re done! I haven?t picked a place to hang this yet, so it?s back where it started?in the closet